1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for recording still images on a recording medium and to an apparatus used with such method.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a device for recording still images, various devices such as a VTR (Video Tape Recorder), a video disk recorder, etc. exist. One of these devices is an electronic still camera.
The electronic still camera is so arranged that image signals of each picture picked up by a solid-state image pickup device are recorded on a magnetic medium such as a floppy disk, and image signals can be then read out from this floppy disk when desired. For the image signals, television signals are used, and in case of color, generally the NTSC (National Television System Committee) system is adopted.
The electronic still camera is so arranged that one picture can be selectively recorded in either one field or one frame. When one picture is recorded in one field (field recording), though the quality of the recorded images becomes low, a fast-moving object being image can be picked up and recorded, and more pictures can be written onto one floppy disk. When one picture is recorded in one frame (frame recording), the quality of a recorded image is high. However, according to the frame recording, there exists the problem that blurs occur in the picture of the fast-moving object. Furthermore, the number of pictures that can be written on one floppy disk is reduced. The electronic still camera is therefore arranged so that the user can choose between the two methods for recording.
However, the need for the user to select between field recording and frame recording each time is annoying, and further it is difficult to switch quickly to the choice most appropriate to the situation.